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Zambian-born El Mukuka joined us at the Nexus Lounge Amsterdam, where he talked about visiting Amsterdam for the first time, took part in our Nexus Take-5 Series, and shared the inspirational story behind his upcoming single, “Keep My Heart Safe”.
Attending the Amsterdam Dance Event for the first time and recently signed to heavyweight record label Ultra Records, Elefterios “El” Mukuka has quite a unique backstory.
Born in Zambia to a Zambian father and Greek mother, the producer and songwriter attended the Berklee College of Music and received a classical education; since then, he’s turned his sights to Western deep house and pop, infusing rhythmic and melodic elements from his native continent of Africa into his production style. With an extensive library of releases featuring a wide range of collaborators, El Mukuka has already played on some of Africa’s biggest dance music festival stages and recently moved to Spain to accommodate the growing demand for his music in Europe.
The artist shares a bit about his first experience at ADE, telling us that, for him, the highlight is getting to meet musical heroes and music-making partners in person after the prolonged pandemic-related shutdowns: “It’s so cool to meet people that I haven’t seen in so long, to meet people for the first time face-to-face, who I’ve ever worked with for years … It’s really magical in that sense.”
Some of these collaborators include Kyle Deutsch and Janou, with whom El Mukuka recently released his latest single, “Keep My Heart Safe.” The track, which features an inspirational chanted chorus (“Every new dream will keep my heart safe”) and a feel-good, Soca-influenced beat, is about “protecting your dreams as an individual, whatever they are.”
It’s clear that the subject matter hits quite close to home for El Mukuka, who tells us:
“Knowing what music means to me, letting go of a dream is almost like letting go of your purpose to live. And so this song, it’s just a warm and friendly reminder, and a very personal reminder, to everyone to hang on to those dreams.”
Taking part in our Nexus Take-5 Series, El Mukuka divulges his worst decision in the last 24 hours, chooses his favorite three producers to top the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list, and shares a bit about the most spontaneous thing he’s ever done.
To learn more about El Mukuka and his experience visiting Amsterdam and attending ADE for the first time, check out our exclusive full-length interview with him below.
